A leading candidate to become President Donald Trump’s third national security adviser is the auto industry executive Stephen Biegun

Published at 1:12 PM PST on Mar 1, 2018

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H.R. McMaster, National Security Advisor to President Trump, at the 2018 Munich Security Conference on Feb., 17, 2018 in Munich, Germany.

The White House is preparing to replace H.R. McMaster as national security adviser as early as next month in a move orchestrated by chief of staff John Kelly and Defense Secretary James Mattis, according to five people familiar with the discussions.

The move would be the latest in a long string of staff shakeups at the White House over the past year and comes after months of strained relations between the president and McMaster.

A leading candidate to become President Donald Trump’s third national security adviser is the auto industry executive Stephen Biegun, according to the officials.

Biegun, who serves as vice president of international governmental affairs for the Ford Motor Company, served on the National Security Council staff from 2001 to 2003, including as a senior staffer for then-national security adviser Condoleezza Rice.

FBI Deputy Director Fired Two Days Before Retirement

Attorney General Jeff Sessions fired former Deputy Director Andrew McCabe, who was a regular target of President Donald Trump's anger and criticism.